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Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast

Hey guys! I’ve been super psyched over my very retro Home-Made Onion Soup Mix. While you can’t say this about everything, it’s been like a little trip to the past that’s actually turned out better than I remembered! One thing I’ve been using it for is this Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast.

Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast

First, of course, I used the Onion Soup Mix for the Famous retro French Onion Dip. Then I branched out until I was kind of surprised to find I had enough recipes using the soup mix to make my own little Lipton’s Onion Soup Collection. And this Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast is the perfect addition to that collection.

About Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast:

I grew up with a pot roast my Mom made using Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix. I made it recently for my site when I realized I’d never posted it. I call it That Old Lipton Onion Soup Pot Roast Recipe. Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast isn’t that recipe; this one’s a little fancy dancy and makes its own gravy. Yep, you heard me! And strangely, Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast has the onion soup, wine and wait for it: Cream of Mushroom Soup. My Mom would probably roll in her grave if she knew…but it really is tasty and my fave octogenarians, the folks, loved it. And so did I.

Frankly, I’m having an awful week: a leg injury, some kind of weird allergy/sinus thing and I think Chance is going through puberty. Do fixed dogs have puberty? See, I had a proud Mommy moment last month when he first lifted his leg to “go” like a big boy. Ever since he’s been a pill. He likes to open the closet door (he’s so smart) and raid the laundry basket. Then I chase him. It’s his favorite game, but my leg is killing me and I don’t think I have a pair of socks left without holes from his sharp little teeth!

So anyway, with all that going on, it seemed to be a good dump it all in the crockpot (if you have an Instant Pot, use that – I was so excited to develop this for my Instant Pot) and see what comes out kind of day. And with very minimal work, what came out was surprisingly good. Luscious meat, silky gravy, and – surprise – the potatoes were all browned and lovely. For best results, tho, be sure to brown the roast, first.

Homemade Onion Soup Mix

Making Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast:

I’ll make Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast over and over and that’s saying a lot since I’m kind of a food snob at times. Or maybe I should say more of a scratch cook and I can’t help but be just a bit guilty about the can of mushroom soup. I know, it’s crazy – most of America uses it, right? It’s really good in this and I just won’t tell anyone about the canned Cream of Mushroom Soup. Well except you, lol! And you shouldn’t, either. Just let everyone think you’re some kind of mad alchemist chef with the crockpot or Instant Pot!

There is one convenience item that I have to be pretty desperate to ever buy. Like there’s a zombie apocalypse and there’s only one bag of carrots left in the world desperate. It’s the precut “baby” carrots that are treated with ammonia and other nasties. “We hatessss them.” So in a pinch use them for this recipe, but for best results, and to have carrots large enough to hold up to the braise in the slow cooker or the instant pot, you’re better off with whole carrots, peeled.

Saving Money on Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast:

If you like pot roast, look for great prices on Chuck, and stock up when the roasts are at a low. Great prices are to be found especially in the fall and around holidays where the more specialty roasts are on used, like around Christmas and New Years and even Valentine’s Day. Something has to be done with the rest of the beef, and the lesser cuts like the chuck are often on deep sale.

Potatoes are dirt cheap, especially in large bags, and so are carrots. Those “baby” carrots? They usually cost more than the real carrots in the bag, especially the ones in the larger packages.

And the wine I used? Leftover. This is a great recipe to use up a bottle languishing in the fridge. I used white coz that’s what we had, but red would have been even better.

Season the beef with the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned on all sides.

Stir the soup, soup mix, wine and garlic in a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, and celery. Top with the thyme and bay leaves. Top with the beef. Cover and cook on Low 7 to 8 hours or high for 5 to 6 or until the beef and vegetables are fork-tender.

Remove the beef and vegetables from the cooker, cover and keep warm. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme.

Stir the flour and water in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the flour mixture and mushrooms into the juices in the cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens and the mushrooms are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with the beef and vegetables.

Season the beef with the salt and black pepper. Heat the Instant Pot until using the Saute function; when the Instant Pot indicates Hot, add the oil and wait until it begins to shimmer. Add the seasoned beef (cut in half, if necessary) and cook until well browned on all sides. Beef may need to be moved around a bit after the initial sear to brown all over due to the doming of the Instant Pot bottom. Remove beef and set aside. (If working in two batches, add a little more oil before browning the second half, if needed.)

Add the soup, soup mix, wine, and garlic to the Instant Pot, gently scraping the bottom to incorporate any fond, making sure to get all of the fond off the bottom. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, and celery. Top with the thyme and bay leaves. Top with the beef and any juices. Cover, seal and set pressure cooker to Manual, adjust to high and adjust time to 45 minutes. When finished, allow the pressure cooker to go to Keep Warm for 20 minutes then release any remaining pressure manually.

Remove the beef & vegetables from the cooker, cover and keep warm. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme. Set Instant Pot back to Saute.

Stir the flour and water in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the flour mixture and mushrooms into the juices in the cooker. Saute, stirring often, until the mixture boils and thickens and the mushrooms are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with the beef and vegetables.

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30 thoughts on “Campbell’s Ultimate Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Roast”

Mollie, I made the dry mix for “cream of anything” soup and love it! I doubled it and it filled a quart jar. It only takes 1/3 cup with 2/3 cup water to make the equivalent of a can of concentrate. Food (lol) for thought!

HI Mollie! This looks like my mom’s old pot roast (only better!). I grew up in a “wine-less” house too. But my husband and I lived in Spain for 12 years and that all changed!! We had wine bottles up and down the tables at church suppers. So– this really does looks delicious and warming and perfectly savory. thanks! Hope your leg is on the mend. What did you do?? And your sinuses?? Sounds like one of those weeks! take care friend. xo

No one can figure out what went wrong with my leg. They thought it was a blood clot so it was a big to-do. But I’m still elevating and icing and taking pills. Ughh. And they started building a house catty-corner to us and I think when they scraped up all the weeds on the empty lot that probably is what did in my sinusus. I’ve never had anything like it. But better now, thank goodness!!

I would love to even just visit Spain! I bet you have a special collection of Spanish recipes?

Oh no Mollie! That is a big concern about your leg! And crazy hard to sit elevating a foot when there’s things to be done. Hoping and praying it is all clear (no clot!) and you are on your feet again soon. And the sinus thing on top of it–out of the blue! I hope someone is there to wait on you hand and foot. Sorry you had to go through all this… Let me know how it all comes out. take care dear girl. hugs hugs!

🙂 Well, Mom just used Lipton’s and put water up to the halfway mark on the roast, potatoes and carrots on the outside, so this is a little “fancier,” Mushroom soup AND wine!! haha!! I have yet another Lipton’s soup blast from the past recipe coming up – as soon as I get to the store for a cabbage…

Oh Mollie, you crack me up! You cut out salt with the homemade Lipton’s then add it all back in with the Campbell’s! LOL. But I forgive you. On very rare occasions I’ll slip a red and white can into something when I just simply don’t have the time or energy (or mushrooms!) to make my own. 😉 NOW, I wish I had this cooking! We got another 5 inches of snow today and I am just OVER IT!

Oh I am feeling for you – you had so much snow this year! We only had a few flakes today but were supposed to get hit. I guess it didn’t make it past you! You could use the low sodium Campbells – I’d rather NOT use it at all but it sure saved my butt with this recipe, I almost always have a can or two in the cupboard for kinda an emergency save = I wasn’t even going to post it, but it was so darned good, lol! The wine didn’t hurt it at all…